Schofields (department store) facts for kids

Schofields was a popular department store in Leeds, England. It was open from 1901 to 1996. For most of the 1900s, many people thought Schofields was the best place to shop in Leeds city centre.

Today, the main Leeds site is called The Core. Before that, it was known as The Headrow Centre. Schofields also had stores in other towns. These included Harrogate, Skipton, and Sheffield. The Sheffield store closed in 1982. It is now an Argos store. The Harrogate store is now Hoopers. For a long time, the only reminder of Schofields in Leeds was a car park. It was called 'Schofields Car Park'. In 2009, it was renamed "The Core" car park.

History of Schofields

The Schofields store was started by Snowden Schofield. It opened on May 4, 1901. At first, it was a small shop. It sold fabrics and hats. Only two people worked there. Over the years, the store grew bigger. It took over more buildings. The original buildings included a shopping arcade. This was called the Victoria Arcade. It ran right through the store.

The main Leeds store was rebuilt in 1962. It had a modern design for that time. In 1984, the business was sold. A company called Clayform Properties bought it. They wanted to rebuild the site. But they did not get permission. In 1988, the store was sold again. This time, the Al Fayed brothers bought it. They also owned Harrods and House of Fraser.

After this, Schofields became part of the House of Fraser chain. It still kept the Schofields name. The store was rebuilt again in 1987. The new store was smaller. A new shopping centre was built next to it. This was called the Schofields Centre. While the building work was happening, Schofields moved. It operated from a former Woolworths store. This temporary store was on Briggate.

When the new Schofields opened in 1990, the temporary store stayed open. It was renamed Rackhams. This was another name used by House of Fraser. The new Schofields on the Headrow closed on July 27, 1996. It faced competition from another House of Fraser store. This other store was on Briggate. The Briggate store is now simply called House of Fraser. This store has also now closed. The old Woolworths building has been pulled down. As of 2024, it is being redeveloped. It will have shops on the ground floor. Student homes will be on the upper floors.

The Schofields Centre Today

The Headrow Centre being redeveloped in 2008.

Food court in the shopping centre, now The Core (December 2015).

The new Schofields Centre opened with other shops. These included HMV and Marks & Spencer. Marks & Spencer later closed its store there. This was because their main store on Briggate got bigger. HMV then moved into the old M&S space around 1996.

The former Schofields Centre later changed its name. It became known as The Headrow Centre. Over the years, many chain stores were there. These included Lillywhites, Sports Direct, New Look, and HMV. The people who managed The Headrow Centre decided to redevelop it. They let many shop leases end. This was to attract new businesses.

Many shops were given short notice to close. This caused some upset. Some stores had been there for up to 15 years. Staff had little time to find new jobs. Some people felt it was unfair to smaller businesses. The renovations were planned to take 18 months. Ten shops stayed open during this time.

The new centre was finished in late 2009. It is now called The Core. This name comes from its central location in the city. The Core has new stores. These include a combined Bank and JD Sports store. There is also a Cotswold Outdoor Clothing and a USC. A large food court was planned. It was meant to seat 500 people. The design uses a lot of glass. The developer called it their most important centre.

However, by July 2011, many shops inside The Core were empty. The planned food court became a gymnasium instead.

As of March 2024, there are new plans for The Core. Permission has been given to pull it down. It will be redeveloped into three separate buildings. These will have shops on the ground floor. Six floors of student homes will be above them. New roads or walking areas will be created between the buildings.